Drying apparatus



Jan. 29, 1946. A c, w, GQR DQN 2,393,766

DRYING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 28, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 '7" g x g 1 a0 1s I l w INVENTOR.

(Mr/(J if? flora 0n BY AW HTTOIPIVE) 1946- c. w. GORDON DRYING APPARATUS Filed NOV. 28, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. flu/"ks 71560711011 Patented Jan. 29, 1946 ES PATENT OF FlCE ' uma msas'rus W. Gordon. Glen 111., auignor to 'Combustlon Englneering Company, Inc., New

York. N. Y.

Application November-'28, 1942, Serial No. 487,187 I a 4 Claims. (01. 34-57).

This invention relates to improvements'in material drying apparatus and is particularly appllcable to drying the finer sizes of material such as coal from a mine. Buch'coal may carry moisture with it, sufllcient i'nquantity to require removal before the coal may be used satisfactorily.

My co-pending application Serial No. 316,205,

filed January 29, 1940, nowPatent No. 2,296,159,

dated September \15, '19'42, describes apparatus which is satisfactory for drying many such materials but which does not always give adequate results where greater drying is necessary and a minimum of dust loss is desired. To accomplish a more adequate drying and dust removal, I employ the drying apparatus disclosed in said application utilizing the principle of drying the material while suspendedin a current of hot gas, except that I add a second cyclone separator connected in series with respect to the gas flow. The wet material to. be dried is delivered into this second separator. By this arrangement the cooled moist ga from the first collector dries the entering cold, wet material, and the hot gas from the furnace dries the hotter drier material, thereby employing the counter-flow principle of heat exchange and drying. A novel design for the second collector offers improvements in the operation of the apparatus.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic elevational view of the improved drying vapparatus; 1

Figure 2 is a sectional elevation through the improved cyclonecollector;

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional of the apparatus shown in Figure 1.

In general the drying apparatus comprises).

. furnace ll delivering hot gas through a conduit II to a cyclone I! for separating the dried material from the hot gas. A conduit It leads from the separator I! for conveying the moist cooled gases to a fan II that creates an upward draft through a conduit 20. Another separator or cyclone l2 receives the moist cooled gases from fan I: and some of the dried material passing from collector ll througha conduit It to mix with the view of part It may be varied. The bottom of sleeve 24 may be flared. At the top of collector i 2 and concentrically surrounding conduit 20 a conduit 26 extends downwardly. for a certain distance into the lector l2 leading via duct 21 to stack 28.

The cyclone I5 is of the usual well known type and separates the dried material from the hot moist gas, the material being deposited in the collector and forms the gas oiftake for the collower endof the collector'while the moist gases escape through from the upper end into conduit It to the fan II. A normally closed relief valve 30 'surmounts collector II and automatically relieves any excess pressure in the apparatus. An,

air seal valve ll, Figure 3, attached to the lower end of collector is isprovided with blades 32 rotatable by motor 33 so that the separated dried lis delivered through material from the collector l the valve while excluding air.

Below valve 3| two diverging conduits #15:

lead respectively to the mixer is and tea point of delivery. A damper It is positioned at thepoint of divergence and is movable to completely close either conduit 34 or conduit 35. This movement is controlled by a solenoid 31 operated at timed intervals by a timer :8 which is adjustable to any desired time intervals of operation.

The mixer 18, Figure 1, receives wet material from hopper l1 and dry material from conduit into a duct between fan The stack a receives the moistureas. air

leaving cyclone I! through conduit 21. The lower amounts at IT, a mixer it mixes the dried in terial and wet material and delivers the mixture. to the cyclone l2. 1 The vertical conduit 20 passes centrally downwardly into the collector l 2 as shown in Figure-2. terminating short of the bottom of the collector and leaving a free annular space 2| between its lower edge and the sides. of the collector. The bottom opening 22 of conduit III is aligned with the discharge end of conduit ll (Figure 1) and is spaced therefrom. As shown in;;Flgure 2, the lower end portion of conduit zenprovided with a vertically adjustable sleeve 24 so that the annular space 2| around thelower end of conduit adding hot gas to the l2. 1

" end'oi' stack 28 connects via conduit 4|,into both conduits II and the furnace oiltake l2. -A valve ll controls theiiow through conduit 4 l. A cleanout door it permits the the bottom of conduit .ll. Optionally a valved by-pass conduit may be connected between" conduit 42 andthe duct ll leading to fan It for In operation 'wet material is transported to hopper l-fl which feeds it into mixer portion. through conduit ill. The

and the-mixture is discharged into conduit ll. Fan it delivers a current of warm moist gases from cyclone II into conduit II to convey the mixture in suspension 'into cyclone collector]! wherein the material is partiallyv dried and eflec tively separated from relatively wet state or the material.

the gases becauseof the The separated wet gases pass out through conduit 28 to stack is and the separated moist material descends through annular II where it is lifted stream and'carried through conduit 2| while removal of any deposit at moist gas entering collector.

ll while dry material is fedto the latter in predetermined pro- I yand wet passage it into conduit by the ascending hot gas therewith in flotation up being dried by the hot gases. From conduit 20 the material-gas mixture is delivered into cyclone l5 where it is finally dried and separated; the moist gas leaving collector l5 via conduit H to enter fan 13 and the dry material descending into and through seal valve 3| whence a portion passes via conduit 34 to mixer IS.

The adjustable sleeve 24 (Figure 2) on the bottom of conduit within collector l2 controls the pressure at the annular passage 2| so that preferably there will be a minimum by-pas'sing of wet gases therethrough into conduit 20 while providing a free passage for the moist material. The material is carried out of collector l2 concentrated in a small portion of gases, which adds to the efllciency of separation.

Ihave found that it is generally possible to operate the counter-flow system as shown without undue difliculties from condensation in the wet collector H. To give added flexibility, I may in some cases include the by-pass conduit 45 be tween conduits 42 and I through which a, relatively small quantity of hot gases may be added to the collector l2 thereby raising the temperature therein and overcoming any condensation. This may be necessary when the material being dried shows a tendency to adhere to the sides of the collector in a moist state, which might eventually cause plugging. By my arrangement of placing a portion of the hot duct 20 within collector l2 the radiation therefrom will in most cases be sufflcient to prevent any excessive condensation within collector I 2; nor will the radiated heat be excessive and overheat the gases discharged through duct 2'! since the drop in tem-. perature within conduit 20 due to evaporation will be very rapid and its metal temperature will not be excessive. I

What I claim is: 1. In a drying system; a source of hot gases; two cyclone collectors through which the gases 'and the material being dried flow in series; a first conduit connecting the gas outlet of the second collector to the gas and material inlet of the first collector; means delivering wet material into said conduit; a second conduit connected to the gas and material inlet of the second collector and projecting concentrically from the interior of said 7 first collector and having its inner end open to the interior of the latter with the edges of the open end of the conduit symmetrically spaced from the walls of said collector; a third conduit connected to said first collector in concentric alignment with and spaced from the open end of said second conduit and connected also to said source of hot gases; means for causing gas flow through said third conduit into said first collector for picking up material passing between said second conduit and the surrounding walls of said first collector and carrying it into and through said second conduit into said second collector, the separated gas passing thence through the first conduit into the first collector; and a vent outlet for the system from the first collector.

2. A material drier and separator of the cyclone type comprising a casing provided at one end with a tangential inlet in its side wall for introducing gas and wet material entrained therein and formed with a centrally located outlet for separated gases in itsend wall at said one end; means for delivering wet material and relatively cool gas at high velocity to the inlet of said casing; a first conduit constituting the only outlet for the separated material extending into said casing and terminating short or the opposite end of said casing with its inner end open to the interior thereof and symmetrically spaced from. the casing walls; means for-supplying a stream of relatively hot drying gas at high velocity; 9. second conduit leading from said supply means and connected to said casing substantially in registration with the inner end of said first conduit for supplying said relatively hot gas to pick up all 01 the separated material that passes between said first conduit and the surrounding walls of said casing toward said second conduit for carrying all said separated material in suspension in all of said hot gas into and through said first conduit to be dried therein in passing out of said drier.

3. A material drier and separator of the cyclone type comprising a casingprovided at one end with a tangential inlet in its side wall fer." in=- troducing relatively cool gas and wet material entrained therein and formed with a centrally located outlet for separated gases in its end wall at said one end; means for delivering wet material and relatively cool gas at high velocity t2; the inlet of said casing; a centrally located open ing at the opposite end of said casing; a first con duit constituting the only outlet for all oi the separated material extending into said casing with its inner end'open to the interior thereoi and symmetrically spaced from the casing walls in concentric relation to and facing said opening; a second conduit for supplying gas through said opening connected to said casing in alinement with said first conduit; and means for supplying relatively hot dry gas through said second conduit into said casing at high velocity for picking up all of the separated material that passes between said first conduit and the surrounding walls of said casing toward said opening for'carrying all said separated material in suspension in all of said hot gas and a small portion of the relatively cool gas into and through said first conduit to be dried therein in passing out of said drier.

4. A material drier and separator of the cyclone type comprising a casing provided at one end with a tangential inlet inits side wall for introducing relatively cool gas and wet material entrained therein and .formed with a centrally located outlet for relatively cool separated gases in its end wall at said one end; means for de' livering wet material and relatively cool gas at high velocity to the inlet of said casing; a centrally located opening at the opp site end of said casing; a first conduit constituting the only out!- let for all of the separated material extending into said casing with its inner end open to the interior thereof and symmetrically spaced from the casing walls in concentric relation toand facing said opening; a second conduit for supplying gas through said opening connected to said casing in registration with said first con-v duit; and means connected to said second conduit for supplying at high velocity relatively hot gas substantially equalin amount to the discharged relatively 0001 gas through said second conduit into said casing for picking up all of the separated material that passes between said first conduit and the surroundin walls of said casing toward said opening and carrying all said separated material in suspension in all of the hot gas into and through said first conduit out of said drier. v r

- CHARLES W. GORDON. 

